Speaking Out

Equity in Sports Information

On November 7, the day Almanac included the story
"Celebrating the Title IX Settlement," I received my second copy of the
sales brochure for the Penn men's basketball team. Today I received my
third. Yet not once have I ever been sent even the schedule, let alone
ticket sales information, about the women's basketball team, or any
other women's team, without calling the department and asking for it.

If this University and the Athletics Department are indeed
committed to equity in men's and women's sports, perhaps this is one
area where you need to examine your policies. Would it really be so
difficult to include schedules and ticket packages for both teams in the
same brochure? You can't expect to build support for women's athletics
if nobody knows when the team is on the court.

Mr. Bilsky was away on University business when Almanac called for a
response. Fran Connors, Assistant Athletic Director, provided the
following in his absence:

We are looking into producing a joint ticket brochure for men's and
women's basketball. To generate awareness for Penn athletic events,
including women's basketball, we publish composite schedules that are
placed in high traffic areas on campus. The schedules also appear in
several publications including Almanac, The Daily Pennsylvanian and
Penn Sport. The new gender equity committee set up by Athletic Director
Steve Bilsky will address these issues.